In the Fertitta Center - Univ. of Houston basketball arena. With the second set as good as it is, it's unfortunate that the first set has never turned up. It's in the vault, but Lemieux only said "it had issues" - would love to hear the China>Rider>BioDtL, because as good as the night before is, this may be the tour's best show. What we do have is one of the best sets of the year. These were the two shows where Parrish fell asleep at the wheel and turned over the equipment rig on the rush to the venue. It's known as a Phil show, but mostly because he's mixed high - at the detriment to Bobby's guitar. The second night has better song selection, arguably, but this night the better playing. The official release has all but the last two.

Second Set. Bertha is a fine start, if a bit on the mellow side, but Greatest Story is a rager. Though it seems Donna walks over the solo, it's just the mix (the SBD is better than the OFF). He's Gone is long, solid, but they kind of sit on it. The OFF has a nonsense patch @3:38 (a few seconds from 11/17), to remove some cool Phil feedback. Deal is compact and sweet, and even in a year loaded with great versions this Playing in the Band is a total standout, and the best of the tour (okay, admittedly Dallas is a contender). The rest is just superb. SBDs have a cut of 16secs in Sugar Mag (the source used after the cut is too slow). Uncle John's seems perfect on the surface, though the X factor excitement isn't quite what it was.

2nd Set: A-
Overall = 5 stars

Highlights:
whole set - every song impresses in parts or whole, especially Deal through Sugar Mag.

SOURCES: The 123077_sbd_miller has some slow wow in the first couple tracks but is still best overall (UJB needs the channels switched and Sugar Mag after the cut needs +2% pitch correction). The lai_9182 runs fast and the cotsman_9002 is bricked. Houston, Texas 11-18-1972 has good sound overall, but is not as good as the SBD in places, edits He's Gone, and runs too fast (apparently both formats), needing pitch correction of -1.5% through He's Gone and -1% from Jack Straw. The vinyl version puts Deal out of order.

When someone asks you why people play the bass. this is what you need to play to them. Phil bombing the way forth for the band But that's just the surface we are shoveling through. Is jerry leading? is Phil leading? does it matter? when this kind of interplay boils through the surface of their psyche into the instruments, you can follow a fractal and reach any conclusion you like. that's the power of this version. it's jazz; a path that any creative being aspires towards in some shape or form. an infinity of patterns and interplay that you get to pick and follow from the content of the noise wall that is put up through the sentient exploration and experiential familiarity that the grateful dead honed over the years; the essence of what makes them such a force.

Yeah! this works. Thanks for the recommendation Dudley Dead.
This does not seem to match the set list that the taper provides but I am not complaining because I am in the middle of the He's Gone and I am already glad I decided to get out of bed to listen to this.
Props to Donna during Greatest Story.
Would assume this is the 2nd set because it feels like the band has already been pre-lubed. I love Phil's pounding bass keeping time. I am literally bouncing in my chair.
The Jack Straw is moving at a very fast clip, wow full gallop!!!
Deal was my first actually live Dead tune at a Jerry show in 84 in Orange County N.Y.
I just remember everyone including myself dancing bone to bone and being one sweaty beautiful mess.
Wow, I was hooked and Jerry with a big grin.
"Don't you let that deal go down'
Here comes the Playing in the Band.
Donna hanging tough with Bobby on the vocals, Phil just off exploring already.
It is like they were in a prolonged mind left body jam that they worked their way thru getting oh so close to the total meltdown.
Everything after this might just as well call 4 encores because PLAYIN is the musical epi-center of the evening.
They get a huge hand for the P.I.T.B
p.s. The Uncle John's Band is sweet!

Deal, Playin' and UJB are excellent. Only Veneta tops this Playin'.
11/17 and 11/19 are also superlative, best shows after Jersey.

Easily my favorite version of this tune, but I am partial to the '72-'74 era.

The jam in this particular version just ebbs and flows with stunning interplay between every member of the band. Phil is an absolute animal, Bobby's phrasing is locked in perfectly with Billy, Keith's fills are extremely tasteful, and then there's Jer and his Color Sound wah....incredible. Check out the point in the jam at 18:30!

To me, this 26 minutes of incredible music exemplifies the Grateful Dead. When I need to put a smile on my face, I will revisit this version of PITB and make it happen every time.... 5 stars for that alone.

My first year of live shows and my favorite year overall, especially the fall shows. Playing in the Band is the masterpiece here. Why people waste their time with the lame, tame shows after 1986 instead of listening to this incredible material is beyond me.

Just got finished watching Weir Wednesday and Steve Parrish was talking about how the Dead crew was driving a straight burn to Houston from Wichita the night before. A straight road, he said, with one turn.

Apparently, he lost control shortly before dawn and the truck went on its side, landing in the mud. No injuries, I guess, because they rented a truck and reloaded. But were a muddy mess.

The Dead still made it, and Parish said he felt like the band was playing for them all night. He said when they got to the hotel after a hellish day, Phil Lesh pulled his muddy boots off his feet.

He was wrong with one part of the retelling. He said the Dead were on a double-bill with ABB and they expected ABB to play long to cover their lateness, but didn't because it was the day Barry Oakley died.

Well, wiki says Oakley died a week before. An understandable mix up on Steve P's part after a lifetime of touring.

They really beat the pulp out of these '72 Playinz